I'm not a very good prepper and still friends and family rip on me too. My wife has reluctantly giving me the green light to start prepping a little more. I've been buying little things, water, water filters, a little food, (though she likes the food now because we have on hand what we use, she's understanding that I'm not looking for guns and munitions, just things we use; and hand tools, l love hand tools). But other then people online there are not many around me that prep. I'm thinking their might be but I don't know of any. Maybe one? A comment was made to me on this site who said he was my neighbour.
Anyway, you're right, we're scattered.

I feel the same way sometimes, although every day - with climate change, conflict and natural disaster - we seem to inch closer to a world where a prepper mentality makes more sense to the average person (either that or more calls for the government to "do something" 🙄 (whatever that is, sigh). Still, it's a small number of people, and preppers usually aren't likely to "come out" to strangers.

I have found niche commonalities with people on various topics. For some people, it's gardening or medicinal herbs, for others it's guns, for others it's outdoors/natural knowledge, or medical knowledge, or food preservation. I signed up to volunteer as a weather watcher for environment canada so I could learn about extreme weather, and as a first aider at work to get free St John's training. I joined a ham radio club to get my license and meet others (some hams help out SAR & events as emerg comms) I take the gardening, cooking and canning workshops offered by the city and various non-profits. Many where I work are ex-military and starting to move out to rural homesteads, so I am starting to see where we have interests in common.

Sarah, not sure what they have on the sunshine coast, but check out Seedy Saturdays (might be too late for 2019 though), DIY-type courses, anything to do with "off-grid", makerspace-type workshops, hunting/fishing expos.

Around me, things are getting to the point where some prepping is "normal". I kind of wrote my bio family off due in part to their negative comments on all my beliefs. My ex (surprisingly) is now getting into prepping....only because a lot of his co-workers have off the grid cabins, not from my comments/actions for the last 25 years. I found on line people that fill the void that was left by leaving the negative people behind.

It’s great reading all the comments and experiences of people who wish for a simple desire to be better positioned for a number of emergencies that can or will likely arise.
I think some of us and I include myself in this, as being to open about disasters that can arise. Others will refuse to buy in for a number of reasons. Maybe they are for increased immigration but refuse to recognize many of the risks. They may be great source for gardening or other areas but refuse to wish to plan for other events. So mote it be!

We want to help our fellow man but by doing so, we often open ourselves to derision. My family will,sometimes laugh at my efforts and they don’t even know the half of it 😆 but I know they would be knocking at the door begging to be admired.

Observations about joining ham radio, gardening.. groups is a good idea and while not everyone may see things as we do, many are close. Regardless of their eagerness to broaden their interest, we are broadening ours and may bump up against others who are like minded. Best of all, there is no need to try and convince people.

Maybe we need to step back a bit in our eagerness to help others and focus on ourselves and plough forward and WHEN we see a like minded individual we reach out? I have a hard time not wishing to help friends but getting to the point where I stop bothering to raise awareness unless I see an open mind. A good childhood friend of mine, drives me crazy with his “all will be well” attitude. I give him unclassified examples and he still shrugs his shoulders. Drives me up a wall! I know he is smart, hard working, physically fit, conservative minded .. but he refuses to prepare beyond a few week or so’s worth of food in the chest freezer . Has a fireplace but has maybe a cord of wood. Well that will go far at minus 25 or when his daughters and boyfriends all show up at the door! What’s a person to do, but move forward.

So yes indeed, prepping without a tribe or even a dozen immediate and fully engaged like minded people is lonely. I have my wife, daughters, some farm neighbours and some professionals i know, other than that I will be alone. But these people are solid and skilled, so it will be what it is.

I've been doing this for more than ten years now. I'm feeling good about the work I've put into myself and my preps. But the one thing that bothers me the most is how isolated I feel. My friends and family think I'm a looney toon. My brother calls me Sarah Connor.. which to me is a compliment, except I know he means it in a derogatory way. I guess I'm feeling it right now because it feels so close now, like a tipping point has been reached.

Anyone else feel like this?

How do I find my tribe?

We're scattered.

I know hind sight is 20/20. But I find the best thing to do...is just not to openly talk about it. I mean, be receptive and not closed off. But like most things that are fringe, or appear outside the cultural norm people's first reaction is to be overly cautious/critical. Think of obscure hobbies, like art, music or sport. Same thing. It doesnt bother me personally. As for finding your tribe? I dont know that you will. This forum is a good source, there are other people you'll meet. But just from the number of people involved...its by its nature a solitary endeavor.

I've been doing this for more than ten years now. I'm feeling good about the work I've put into myself and my preps. But the one thing that bothers me the most is how isolated I feel. My friends and family think I'm a looney toon. My brother calls me Sarah Connor.. which to me is a compliment, except I know he means it in a derogatory way. I guess I'm feeling it right now because it feels so close now, like a tipping point has been reached.

Anyone else feel like this?

How do I find my tribe?

We're scattered.

Nicely said!
I know hind sight is 20/20. But I find the best thing to do...is just not to openly talk about it. I mean, be receptive and not closed off. But like most things that are fringe, or appear outside the cultural norm people's first reaction is to be overly cautious/critical. Think of obscure hobbies, like art, music or sport. Same thing. It doesnt bother me personally. As for finding your tribe? I dont know that you will. This forum is a good source, there are other people you'll meet. But just from the number of people involved...its by its nature a solitary endeavor.

You have to open up in like minded places. You have to be willing to take a chance. To lose. No prepper would dare steal from another prepper. Most of us are hunters or target shooters. The rest are both. Whats mkre likely to happen is a climatic event that will make you get out of dodge. Trading caches and meeting folks as much as possible will give you options.

Thanks to doing what I've said above. I know many preppers and have many places to take refuge in Canada but in various parts of the 🌎.

Be hidden in plane sight in your community while joining groups that encourage self reliance. Online find those that live anywhere 10hrs from you and meet them in a public place. Some will become your MAG if you just stick with it. Its taken me 10 years to get a good start in an emergency.

Speaking of being open. I'm from the Cochrane area in Ontario. If your within 10 hours lets meet half way. I go to KW/ Bracebridge a fair bit too